Most -the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, said Friday that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are illegal and that all countries must cooperate to end the conflict between Israel and Palestine. This opinion, although not binding, carries great weight in international law and may weaken support for Israel, reports Reuters.
"The Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as the regime associated with them, were created and maintained in violation of international law," said the president of the judicial panel Nawaf Salam of Lebanon, reading the conclusions of the 15-member panel panel of judges. The opinion also states that Israel must pay reparations to the Palestinians for the damage caused by the occupation.
The court found that the UN Security Council, the General Assembly and all states have an obligation not to recognize the occupation as legal and not to provide aid or support for its maintenance.
The case stems from a 2022 UN General Assembly request that preceded the Gaza war, which began in October. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem - territories of historic Palestine that Palestinians claim as their own state - in the 1967 war and has since built up ever-expanding settlements in the West Bank.
Israeli leaders argue that the territories are not legally occupied because they are on disputed land, but the UN and most of the international community view them as Israeli-occupied territories. In February, more than 50 countries submitted their submissions to the court, with Palestinian representatives asking the court to find that Israel must withdraw from all occupied territories and remove illegal settlements.
Israel did not participate in the hearings, but submitted a written statement saying issuing an advisory opinion would be "harmful" on attempts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Most countries involved in the process asked the court to declare the occupation illegal, while a small number, including Canada and Britain, argued that the court should decline to issue an advisory opinion.
The United States, Israel's strongest ally, urged the court to limit any advisory opinion and not order an unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territories. In 2004, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory ruling that Israel's separation barrier around most of the West Bank was "contrary to international law" and that the Israeli settlements were created in violation of international law. Israel rejected this decision.